Judge rapped over boys race case

Go to page

War Hero

A judge who said a legal case against a 10-year-old boy over alleged racism was "political correctness gone mad" has been criticised by a teaching union.
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) said Judge Jonathan Finestein was "out of date" in his attitude.

The boy from Irlam, Greater Manchester, appeared at Salford Youth Court accused of racially abusing a fellow pupil.

But Judge Finestein adjourned the case, saying the boys would have got "a good clouting" in his day.

But Judge Finestein said he thought the decision to prosecute the youngster was "crazy" and urged the Crown Prosecution Service to reconsider its decision.

"Have we really got to the stage where we are prosecuting 10-year-old boys because of political correctness?" he said in court.

"Nobody is more against racist abuse than me but these are boys in a playground; this is nonsense.

"I think somebody should consider reversing the decision to prosecute."

On adjourning the case until 20 April, he asked prosecutors to reconsider whether the case was in the public interest.

We need more Judges like Finestein. Im glad some members of silk are questioning the CPS

LE

i would struggle to believe that the lad would even know what racial abuse was at 10 years old, he would just hand out insults anyway, it is just too easy to mention colour when doing so without thinking imho

MIA

I echo the comments of having a high ranking judge that thinks the country has gone mad. Political corectness has now ruined what was the fabric of society. People are treading on eggshells for fear of being caught in the PC trap.
A recent incident at work involved a colleague having an interview without coffee from his line manager because he has the Union Flag as a window sticker in his company car.
He was told to remove it as it might offend some of the 'ethnic' workers within the company. Rightfully he has refused and wants his line manager to put the request in writing. Totally mad!!
Get a grip HR folks.

Old-Salt

Even though the Judge has said this, and told the CPS to reconsider the case, still they go back to court later this month, and you can bet your bottom dollar the CPS will still proceed with the case as they will say it is in the public interest. Public interest My A***se

As all have said previous, this is what the country needs, more people who will make a stand against PC gone mad.

War Hero

Even though the Judge has said this, and told the CPS to reconsider the case, still they go back to court later this month, and you can bet your bottom dollar the CPS will still proceed with the case as they will say it is in the public interest. Public interest My A***se

As all have said previous, this is what the country needs, more people who will make a stand against PC gone mad.

LE

As soon as i heard this story on the radio i was immediately sceptical as to the forces behind this prosecution. It immediately seemed to me, to be a case of prosecuting to appease the PC agenda of those in charge of our education system. Knowing kids as i do (i spend a lot of time looking after my nephews), i also suspected that the child had no real meaning of the conotations or implications of the words he was using, but since reading into the story in more depth, it appears that there is more to the story.

He called an 11-year-old boy "Paki", allegedly referred to him as "bin Laden" and chanted: "He's on the run, pull the trigger and shoot the n***er". He is said to have made the comments in the school playground between July 1 last year and Jan 30 this year.

Where does a 10 year old learn words like 'n***er' and 'paki', where does he learn to use them in the context of Al-queda and Bin Laden and shooting the 'n***er'? This does not come from watching TV or movies, neither does it (i suspect) come from passing comments made by adults. For a child so young to use such words, there must have been at least some form of constant exposure to a racist environment, be it at home or elsewhere. As such, the most logical course of action would not have been to attempt to criminalise this child (as the CPS and police seem to wish), but to confront the parents in an attempt to make it clear to them that this would not be accepted and that it was their responsibility to make sure the child knew that it was wrong to call people by such terms because of their skin colour.

Old-Salt

A few 15 and 18 rated films would have been enough for a ten year old to pick up on. My 7 & 9 year old nephews pick stuff up very quickly , the 9 year old is allowed to play fantasy games on the internet and some of the 'chat' that goes on really isn't suitable.

I think a stern telling off and an explanation that using this sort of language is not acceptable would have been suffice - a few missed lunch breaks sat in the corner would have him feeling sorry for himself.

I remember when I was 5 throwing wooden bricks at a kid that wouldn't play nicely with everyone else - seems like I was lucky to get away with a telling off; these days I might have been done for ABH

Old-Salt

In my oppinion kids rarely use these words for the same reasons adults do. They could be swearing etc to get a reaction or to establish their independence.
They could be innocently imitating what they've heard someone else say."

LE

This sort of thing should have been dealt with by the teacher with a possible stern letter from the Head to the boys parents.

By involving the Police one has to question the suitability of the Head and the teacher involved to be anywhere near children. They obviously have a problem with maintaining discipline and seem to be devoid of any form of moral courage.

I suspect the policeman involved thought he had an easy cop for a race crime or more likely was scared he would get his knuckles rapped if he gave the kid and his parents a warning.

The CPS solicitor should find himself in the same dole queue as the Head. Quite incapable of applying common sense and of doubtful judgement.

The best way to deal with racism is to face it down there and then. The boy should have had a good rifting at the time.

Incidentally to give this some perspective, a fifteen year old attempted to burgle my neighbour, he was caught and the Police summoned. The Sgt was very nice about it but refused to do anything other than tell the boy off because he was underage and the CPS wouldn't prosecute. Even as the boy walked away threatening to take a shotgun to my neighbour and his wife, the Sgt could only apologise. Later that night the youth was shouting his mouth off in a local pub about how he was going to rape my neighbours wife.

So a ten year old who knows no better calls someone else bad names and is dragged up in front of the beak, and a fifteen year old with a long string of offences is ignored because the offences he committed (burglary and threatening behaviour) are deemed not serious enough. What sort of madhouse are we living in.

War Hero

What does the Teachers Union expect the judge to do, throw the 10 year old in prison, fine him a few thousand pounds, flog him. If the lad was taken to court for shop lifting all these people would be saying just how evil it is to treat a child this way, but use a ill chosen word on race then the full weight of the law must be used to break the lad. What ever happened to writing out a thousand times that one should not call a person from Pakistan a Paki

War Hero

Is that what we've come to?? Tearing apart and analysing a 10 year old's words? I call my best mate a bimbo all the time (she's blond) doesn't mean I'm bloody discriminating against all blonds and have a neagtive view of them! I can't believe some idiot actually thought to bring this as far as it got! At the worst this is just a case of bullying, which isn't exactly unknown in schools, but since they are supposed friends I really don't see what business it is of anyones to comment on the banter beween mates, whether it be of questionable taste or not.

LE

A few 15 and 18 rated films would have been enough for a ten year old to pick up on. My 7 & 9 year old nephews pick stuff up very quickly , the 9 year old is allowed to play fantasy games on the internet and some of the 'chat' that goes on really isn't suitable.

I think a stern telling off and an explanation that using this sort of language is not acceptable would have been suffice - a few missed lunch breaks sat in the corner would have him feeling sorry for himself.

I remember when I was 5 throwing wooden bricks at a kid that wouldn't play nicely with everyone else - seems like I was lucky to get away with a telling off; these days I might have been done for ABH

Which 15 and 18 rated films of the last 10years do you know that uses the word 'n***er' and 'paki' in such derogatory context? I can't think of any of the top of my head! If you can, can you tell me why the kid (aged 10) was allowed to see such media?

MIA

These words are forever used in american films, and are predominently used by afro/carabean americans at other afro/carabean americans.

They also blare out from various loud stereos, at home, in cars or mobile phones.

Children are like tape recorders, they pick up everything, but rarely get the context right when they apply it.

One of my younger children, used certain words as a put down. On hearing this, I was most unimpressed. I then asked her what the meaning of the words were, she didn't know. So I explained in full the exact meanings, she was horrified that she used these words and has never since.

I have also overheard a 7yr old calling another 7yr old a n*g**r, they were both white children.